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27 Nov
Sali has lost five inches and a whole load of hassle. She explains how.
So last week I cut off all my hair. I say ‘I’, when in fact, it was Luke Hersheson who did it. And I say ‘cut’, when actually, he basically hacked it off freehand with a razor, literally picking up sections and cutting each of them as though chopping through forestry. However long I work in this industry, I will never cease to be wowed by super talented hairdressers. I swear, it’s like witchcraft, what they do. I love watching them in action, because I know I could never hope to cut hair well myself. They have different brains, where unusually, art meets maths. Good ones have a flair for aesthetics and fashion and an obsession with symmetry and precision. They’re like architects with scissors instead of slide-rules. But despite being a longtime hairdresser devotee who’s been lucky enough to sit in the chairs of many of the top stylists, I must confess that I’ve never been more impressed than I was by Luke at Daniel Hersheson in London’s Conduit Street. “He’s the best cutter, bar none,” agreed a girlfriend of mine, who happens to be a major beauty director with an entire industry to choose from. And she’s not wrong. Luke had cut my hair many years ago, and although it was expertly done then, my request was pretty safe and pedestrian so it was hardly much of a showcase for his talents. This time was different, because I’d opted for Luke’s new signature ‘Bad Bob’. This is the cut he recently gave Sienna Miller (who also got the razor-hacking treatment) and which struck me as pretty cool-looking and possibly the only below ear-length style I’ve yet to have. I first spoke to Luke about doing it several months ago, but because I was right in the middle of shooting Pretty Honest, I couldn’t because of continuity. Then I got stuck in the book promotion hole and didn’t have any time. So it’s fair to say that by the time my appointment finally came around, I was bored to death of my longer style (not to mention drowning in split ends) and would probably have agreed to a buzz-cut in order to get rid. Apart from having been captivated by the cutting process, I am completely thrilled with the results. It’s a cut that looks accidental, uneven, messy, undone, even a bit chewed at the ends. And yet none of that would be quite so apparent without a very deliberate and exacting thought process behind it. I feel younger, cheekier, sexier. I’m into hair again after a couple of years in the ‘meh’ zone.
When I posted the cut on Instagram, I got several comments asking me how to style it. I’m afraid the rather irritating answer is that it’s the cut, not the styling, that holds the key. The latter could not be less technical. I’ve been following the same styling process Luke went through on the day, only with the addition of a styling spray (he used nothing at this stage). I spritz in Kerastase Spray-a-Porter in 2-3 fine layers, then, using my hairdryer without the nozzle attachment, blast the roots in a haphazard way – this is strictly a no blow-dry, no brush, no comb type affair. I grab my fringe, which I’m growing out, and pull it from side to side (just as I do with a Mason Pearson when it’s shorter. See my video on how). I sort of grab fistfuls of hair from the roots as I go, pulling outwards. When it’s dry, I blast with cold air to set the volume. It is literally the fastest, most unskilful process in the world. To finish, Luke used Kiehl’s Creme With Silk Groom by rubbing it between his palms then raking his fingers through the ends. I am terrified of creme in my hair, so I do the same with Kerastase Elixir Ultime for Fine Hair to separate the ends. Then I give it a final mist of Elnett because I just can’t not. As instructed, I wash it only 2-3 times a week (it gets better with age), freshening between washes with COLAB or Percy & Reed dry shampoo for oomph . To mix things up, Luke also showed me how to take random sections and bend them a little with large tongs to create movement. Again, it’s too easy for words, and has proved to me for the first time that a full-on hair ‘style’ doesn’t need loads of styling if it’s done right.
I’ve only been bad bobbed for a week and I’m already panicking about what might happen if I need a cut and Luke is on some Vogue shoot in a faraway place, because the technique is so uniquely his that I could trust no one else to replicate it. But even in his absence, I find his groundwork has made for the simplest styling job in hairdressing. In hacking off five inches of hair, he shaved 20 minutes off my morning routine. It’s going to be very hard to go back to a regular cut.
A cut and finish with Luke Hersheson at Daniel Hersheson costs £300. Prepare for a waiting list. Book via reception@danielhersheson.com or call 020 7434 1747.
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